DETROIT 0 0 0 SOUTHFIELD A FAMILY AFFAIR Teen Hopes To Compete In Brazil Chess Tourney SUSAN GRANT Staff Writer H ❑ a variety of homes in every style and price range ❑ central location with easy access to all major freeways ❑ rich community life ❑ warm, friendly neighborhoods ❑ award-winning City services and recreational facilities ❑ a school system nationally- recognized for excellence For more information: City of Southfield Housing and Neighborhood Center, 354-4400 Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SOUTHFIELD The Center of It All DESIGNS IN DECORATOR LAMINATES LADIES' FASHIONS AT THEIR BEST For High Quality Formica Always At A Great Discount SPECIALIZING IN: • Wall Units • Bedrooms • Dining Rooms • Credenzas • Tables • Offices ALSO SPECIALIZING: • Woods • Glass • Stones • Lucite 6919 Orchard Lake Road W. Bloomfield • 855-5528 Barry's Let's Rent It PARTIES EXCLUSIVELY IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A FORTUNE . . . ONLY LOOK LIKE IT! CALL LOIS HARON 851-6989 Allied Member ASID 16 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1991 • Tents • Tables • Chairs • China • Paper Gob& 4393 ORCHARD LAKE RD., N. OF LONE PINE IN CROSSWINDS 855-0480 e has only been in Detroit since December 1989, but already Vadim Tsemekhman is making a name for himself —in the chess world. In testament to his skill are the numerous trophies and medals —including one from the Michigan Chess Association naming him the best player in the state — displayed in his bedroom in his family's Southfield apartment. Vadim, 16, used the prize money he earned at chess tournaments around the state to purchase a com- puter. But there is another trophy Vadim would like to add to his collection —the 1991 World Youth Cham- pionship for players between the ages of 16-18. Vadim, a junior at Southfield High School, is one of four teens in the United States asked to participate in the July tour- nament in Maringa, Brazil. While he would like to com- pete, he may not get an op- portunity. Although he will not have many expenses once in Brazil, a round-trip plane ticket costs almost $1,900, said his mother, Anna, a re- ceptionist for Jewish Reset- tlement Service. The family cannot afford it. "I want to go to Brazil, but the problem is the money," said Vadim, who knows this may be his only chance to participate in an interna- tional tournament. Vadim has come a long way from the six-year-old boy who watched his father and grandfather sit around a chess board in Kharkov, Ukraine. When his grand- father noticed how intrigued Vadim was with the game, he began to teach the boy, Mrs. Tsemekhman said. Soon, he joined a chess club and began playing in tournaments, said Vadim, who fell in love with the sport. "Chess is a real game of the mind," Vadim said. "I have to think about what I'm going to do and what my opponent is going to do." Like a football player who trains his body for the play- ing field, Vadim studies chess daily, often for hours at a time. He occasionally works with a chess coach. He Vadim: Tsemekhman: Champ needs funds. also needs to be in good physical condition to main- tain the stamina required to sit at a chess board for the average seven-hour game. He has seen his opponents lose because they were too tired, said Vadim, who once played an eight-hour game. But his fi::st lesson was master 4 ag the differences betwc en playing chess in the Soviet Union and playing in America. While chess clubs are common in the Soviet Union, he had trouble finding the Oak Park Chess Club, where he is now a member. He also discovered he needed money to play the game. Tournaments usually have entry fees, which are unheard of in the Soviet Union, Vadim said. But then again, instead of the stan- dard trophy he would earn in the Ukraine, in Detroit he receives money for winning. But the biggest difference is in attitude. "The Ameri- can attitude toward chess is it's not a big deal," said Vadim, who takes the gaMe seriously. He hasn't lost many tour- naments since arriving in Detroit. Among his list of honors is the Michigan In- vitational Championship, the Motor City Open Cham- pionship, the Michigan Ju- nior Championship and two gold medals earned at last year's Maccabi Games. Although he is unsure whether he wants to pursue a professional chess career, Vadim's goal is to become a chess grand master. "I feel that I'm good at chess, but I'm not the best," said Vadim. " I like to be better. I have to work and become a good player." ❑